The Mexican regulator will cease operations, while Canada will implement a law on revenue sharing for digital platforms and news outlets. The USA has set new accessibility standards, while the Brazilian communications ministry has announced its short-term regulatory goals.

These are the most important developments covered by Cullen International’s latest Media Country Profiles for the Americas region.

In Mexico, the regulator IFT will cease operations, following a constitutional amendment that shut down several independent federal agencies. For over a decade, the IFT oversaw highly concentrated markets in the telecommunications and media sectors, spearheading many innovations in regulation, competition enforcement and consumer protection. According to federal government sources, a new Digital Transformation Agency (which the lower chamber of the Mexican Congress has so far approved) will take over IFT’s responsibilities from 2025.

Canada is moving ahead with the implementation of the Online News Act (ONA), which will set a legal framework to ensure fair revenue-sharing between digital platforms and news outlets. After consulting with stakeholders, the regulator CRTC exempted Google from the ONA over the company’s agreement to pay over US$74m annually to the Canadian Journalism Collective.

In the USA, the regulator FCC ordered new accessibility standards for the deaf and hard of hearing that apply to TVs, computers, smartphones, tablets and other devices. Manufacturers and pay-TV system operators have until 17 August 2026 to comply.

Meanwhile, in Brazil, the Ministry of Communications published its 2024/2025 agenda. The agenda addresses ambitious short-term regulatory goals in areas ranging from spectrum policy and media accessibility to a new digital terrestrial TV standard and broadcast emergency alerts.

Cullen International’s Media profiles provide detailed updates in media-related developments across eight countries in the Americas. Each profile includes coverage of :

• current and forthcoming regulation and legislation;
• key government developments;
• sector-relevant statistics;
• consumer protection standards; and
• competition enforcement standards.

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